Flatworms?

nickloeuf · Apr 12, 2018

Hey guys,

I have been having MANY of these little things all over my shrooms... 6 weeks ago I removed most of them with a small pump... I thought I was done with them but I just realized that they are back!!

I think they are flatworms.. and there are many of them (hundreds, maybe a thousand!!!)

Is there any live stuff that would actually eat them? Are they really flatworms?

here's a picture of the ones I just took off the shrooms

I read about this stuff called FLATWORM EXIT but I only have a 20gallon tank and MANY worms ... So the toxins would be too strong !!

What should I do?

Tahoe61 · Apr 12, 2018

They are really FW.

Siphon out what you can daily. Those are probably photosynthetic ( they use light to produce carbons for nutrition) to a certain degree so try a complete 3-4 day black out, continue to siphon out flatworms. You can use a flashlight directed at one spot of the aquarium and they should congregate there over the course of a couple hours.
Get a Damsel or Wrasse and acclimate them, in a couple days do not feed them, take a turkey baster and blow the FW off surfaces so the fish gets the idea, rinse and repeat.

Or

You can use Flatworm Exit and risk adverse reactions. When FW die they produce a toxin, you have to remove as many as you can prior to treatment, and there are a lot more you do not see. You have to do a significant wc post treatment and add charcoal. If enough unremoved fw die during treatment it can reek havoc with a tank.

Palyzoa · Apr 12, 2018

I like what the above post suggests with a wrasse! They should help with your flat worm problem. I would try natural predators over nuking your tank first.

nickloeuf · Apr 12, 2018

Palyzoa said:
I like what the above post suggests with a wrasse! They should help with your flat worm problem. I would try natural predators over nuking your tank first.

Exactly! That's why I was looking online first... I am going to buy a blue velvet nudibranch!! They are known for eating only flatworms!

TUSI · Apr 12, 2018

nickloeuf said:
Exactly! That's why I was looking online first... I am going to buy a blue velvet nudibranch!! They are known for eating only flatworms!

That's exactly what I would do. They will clean em out and then probably die so if can sell it to someone before that happen

nickloeuf · Apr 12, 2018

TUSI said:
That's exactly what I would do. They will clean em out and then probably die so if can sell it to someone before that happen

YES! these creatures are so amazing. I'm talking abt the nudibranches not the FW lol !!

kz4q66 · Apr 12, 2018

I think what you got is the Benign Flatworm. Unlike the Red Planaria this one is reef safe.
I hope so because I have them in my tank too.
http://www.melevsreef.com/critter/benign-flatworm

nickloeuf · Apr 12, 2018

kz4q66 said:
I think what you got is the Benign Flatworm. Unlike the Red Planaria this one is reef safe.
I hope so because I have them in my tank too.
http://www.melevsreef.com/critter/benign-flatworm

they look similar but mine are more brownish/red

kz4q66 · Apr 12, 2018

the worm has the clear body so the color you see might cause by the lighting. Mine has purple color because I see it at night when my blue LED light is on.

tgrick · Apr 12, 2018

I have the transparent/clear flatworms and I can tell you that these are nowhere close to them. I suspect these are not the good ones. My clear ones show up as such regardless of the color of the lighting. They simply have no color at all.

laverda · Apr 13, 2018

A fresh water dip will disolve the planira flat worms.

rosshamsandwich · Apr 13, 2018

just keep sucking them out...

H Street Reefer · Apr 13, 2018

Is this some type of worm too? They are suddenly all over my rocks. They act like single sweeper arms (almost single Galaxea arms constantly lengthening and shortening). Any ideas? I can post more pics if it would help in indentifying. Thanks!

H Street Reefer · Apr 13, 2018

Two more pics...

Tahoe61 · Apr 13, 2018

^ Nope those are Hydroids.

H Street Reefer · Apr 13, 2018

Roger that. Thank you!

rob safron · Apr 13, 2018

Yep. I have the red flatworms. Started a post on my experience. Followed directions of the Flatworm Exit and the toxins threw my tank into a tizzy and velvet outbreak. Lost half my fish. I did get a couple nudi’s and they were eating the flatworms. After 2 days disappeared and have not seen them since. Order more but live aquaria is out on backorder.

rosshamsandwich · Apr 13, 2018

H Street Reefer said:
Is this some type of worm too? They are suddenly all over my rocks. They act like single sweeper arms (almost single Galaxea arms constantly lengthening and shortening). Any ideas? I can post more pics if it would help in indentifying. Thanks!

spaghetti worm

Tahoe61 · Apr 13, 2018

^Digitate Hydroid.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 13, 2018

nickloeuf said:
Hey guys,

I have been having MANY of these little things all over my shrooms... 6 weeks ago I removed most of them with a small pump... I thought I was done with them but I just realized that they are back!!

I think they are flatworms.. and there are many of them (hundreds, maybe a thousand!!!)

Is there any live stuff that would actually eat them? Are they really flatworms?

here's a picture of the ones I just took off the shrooms

I read about this stuff called FLATWORM EXIT but I only have a 20gallon tank and MANY worms ... So the toxins would be too strong !!

What should I do?

Oh man !! Flatwork exit is good but I've also heard of horror stories. Needless to say, the wAR is on and they must be rid of. Wrasses such as 6 line and lunare will eat these but with such infestation will be a slow process.